Algal Toxicology and Dynamics

PROJECT OVERVIEW AND HISTORY

Central Indiana water supply reservoirs have historically experienced and continue to experience taste and odor (T&O) issues. Long-term patterns documented since at least 2002 show that taste-and-odor episodes are highly variable in frequency, intensity and duration among years and within the same reservoir, and very often are associated with the presence of specific species of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae. Understanding the hydrologic and biogeochemical processes that lead to changes in algal metabolite (MIB and geosmin) concentrations in water supply reservoirs is important for improving the quality of water in drinking water reservoirs because it can be an economic burden to water treatment plants to remove these T&O compounds. It is also important to improving our understanding of the possible production of algal toxins that are of concern worldwide.

The Center has provided field and analytical support to the local drinking water utility, collecting data that is used to ensure that production processes are maximized to deliver the highest quality drinking water. We have been assisting in monitoring local reservoirs since summer 2008 through partnerships with local agencies and utilities including previous support from Veolia Water Indianapolis. Citizens Water is continuing and expanding this partnership through funding to support the field, laboratory and analytical research towards developing a better understanding of key chemical, phyisical, and biological processes that drive blooms of specific cyanobacteria and their production of these metabolites in area reservoirs, including Geist, Morse and Eagle Creek Reservoirs. Through continued sampling and through lab and field expeiments, we will work towards improving our understanding of how these complex natural systems respond to changes in deleterious and beneficial directions. This partnership provides significant opportunity for students and faculty in the School of Science to be engaged with the drinking water utility in a way that brings fundamental scientific research and student training to bear on a significant problem with industrial, societial, and private citizen concern. Faculty member Dr. Greg Druschel and CEES Scientist (and Earth and Environmental Sciences PhD student) Nico Clercin lead this project at CEES.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The link between blue-green algae and water quality

Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) cause a multitude of water-quality concerns, including the potential to produce toxins and taste-and-odor (T&O) compounds. Algal metabolites (toxins and T&O compounds) may cause significant economic and public health concerns, and are of particular interest in lakes, reservoirs, and rivers that are used for drinking-water supply, recreation, or aquaculture. Many cyanobacteria produce intracellular and extracellular metabolites, such as biotoxins (microcystin and cylindrospermopsin) and/or T&O compounds (e.g., 2-methylisoborneol (MIB), trans-1,10-dimethyl-trans-9-decalol (geosmin)) that impact water supplies in reservoirs, rivers, canals, and within water treatment plants. Geosmin and MIB have extremely low odor thresholds to humans and can be detected by consumers at concentrations as low as 5–10 ng/L (part per trillion). These metabolites, particularly in dissolved (extracellular) forms, have been shown to be resistant to conventional water treatment.

What are Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)?

A bloom is a rapid and massive development of algae on the surface of lakes, reservoirs and ponds. Although blooms can occur naturally as part of the yearly cycle of algal dynamics in a water body, some algae, such as Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), can develop nuisance blooms. Cyanobacteria can sometimes form visible green masses and scums floating on the water surface and which can reach a thickness of a few centimeters along the edges of the water body. Most of the time, algal blooms are simply not visible and form diffuse dense populations right below the water surface.

The definition of a HAB is not so clear since it is a common term and not a scientific term, which describes a diverse array of blooms that can cause detrimental effects, including:

Toxic effects on aquatic life and humans – generally caused by biotoxins

Aesthetics (discoloration) and Taste-and-Odor (T&O) problems in water supplies caused by diverse algal volatile organic compounds (AVOCs), such as MIB and geosmin.

There are a wide range of organisms that can be defined as bloom-forming species. Predominant groups in freshwater ecosystems are Cyanobacteria, some species of Diatoms, Prymnesiophytes and Euglenophytes whereas Dinoflagellates account for more than 75% of coastal blooms (marine). Not all algal blooms produce toxins.

Cyanotoxins

Cyanotoxins can be classified into categories that reflect their biological effects on the systems and organs that they affect most strongly. Each cyanotoxin can be produced by more than one cyanobacterial species; likewise, several toxins can be found within the same species. Toxigenic Cyanobacteria can be found in marine, brackish and freshwaters. READ MORE about cyanotoxins and their producers...

What Causes Algal Blooms?

The development and proliferation of algal blooms likely result from a combination of environmental factors including available nutrients, temperature, sunlight, ecosystem disturbance (stable/mixing conditions, turbidity), hydrology (river flow and water storage levels) and the water chemistry (pH, conductivity, salinity, carbon availability…).

This is a long–term solution to reduce algal blooms impacting streams and water bodies. Protecting soils from erosion in upstream watersheds, maintaining vegetation cover (cover crops) and no-till agriculture will ultimately lead to better water quality as less sediment and nutrients will be able to enter waterways. Nutrients promote the growth of algae, so reducing the nutrient inputs will reduce the frequency of algal blooms. Measures to improve watershed management will generally not show immediate results, but they will have long term benefits to the environment.

Main ways of reducing the nutrient load are:

Avoiding the excessive use of fertilizers and manures on agricultural land within the watershed

Prevents river bank erosion which can increase turbidity and sedimentation of the water body

Shades the water, which reduces the available light and keeps the water temperature lower so algal growth is not encouraged.

Managing algal blooms in water storages

Once nutrients enter a water storage they are very hard to remove. Therefore, the most effective strategy is to prevent nutrients from entering the storage in the first place. Algal blooms in water storages such as lakes or dams can be dealt with by using a number of management strategies.

Algaecides

An algaecide is any chemical added to water which is toxic to, and kills algae and/or cyanobacteria (blue–green algae). Examples include copper sulphate or any chelated copper–based products. The use of algaecides to control algal blooms is not recommended and is not an effective long term solution to algal problems. Copper–based algaecides damage and kill algal cells which lead to the release of algal toxins into the surrounding water.

Growth of nuisance species that are resistant to the algaecide may cause greater water quality problems

Copper–based products may kill other aquatic flora and fauna. They can also cause the death of fish through reducing the concentration of oxygen in the water when the algae die.

Water Treatment

Algae can be removed from raw water through a number of treatment methods. These include filtration, coagulation using aluminum and ferric iron salts or organic polymers. The most reliable method of algal toxin removal is using activated carbon filtration. This approach uses either powdered activated carbon (PAC), which can be added intermittently whenever the need arises, or granular activated carbon (GAC) absorbers, which are used continuously.

When possible, short–term control techniques for drinking water supplies include changing the position or depth of the water intake to avoid pumping contaminated water with high cell densities.

2009-07 White River Bloom Information ((Updating Page, Webmaster 8.5.14)The White River is currently experiencing a bloom. These conditions are being caused by a bloom of single-celled algae in the group of algae known commonly as yellow-brown algae or diatoms.

Project support

Major support for this work comes from a 3.5-year grant awarded in 2013 by Citizens Energy Group, a Public Charitable Trust. Our partnership with Citizens Water, a division of the Citizens Energy Group, began in 2011 after the transfer of the community's water and wastewater utilities to Citizens from the City of Indianapolis. Previous support for work on algal toxins in our local reservoirs came from Veolia Water Indianapolis (Veolia).

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About CEES

The IUPUI Center for Earth and Environmental Science was established by the Department of Earth Sciences in 1997 and in 2010 was named an IUPUI Campus Signature Center, an initiative of the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Research at IUPUI. CEES is also sponsored within IUPUI by the School of Science with additional support from the Department of Earth Science.

CEES is a proud Ambassador of Weather Ready-Nation, a program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.